Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley

History

An example of a Commissioners' church the church was built between 1820 and 1822 by the architect Francis Goodwin in the decorated perpendicular gothic style at an expense of £14,235, raised by subscription of the inhabitants, aided by a grant from the Parliamentary Commissioners. The church, said to have been modelled on King's College Chapel, Cambridge, was consecrated on 23 January 1823 by James Cornwallis the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. A parish was assigned out of St. Peter and St. Paul, Aston, the living, being a perpetual curacy in the gift of the Vicar of Aston, was called a vicarage from 1872; the patronage of which was transferred to the Aston Trustees in 1884. St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham Bordesley (Conybere St, originated as a building in Leopold Street, which was licensed as a mission of Holy Trinity, Bordesley, in 1865.

This former church has an exceptionally good interior with all its fittings and galleries. It has a conventional rectangular plan with shallow canted apse, faced in Bath stone which is enlivened by spirelet pinnacled buttresses diving the windows and with octagonal pinnacled turrets holding the corners whilst a larger pair flank the effectively recessed full height entrance bay under the parapeted gable. The soffit has a lrerne pattern of ribs over the large decorated west window, the tracery of cast iron. The porch proper is shallow and contained within the recess, a tripartite composition with an ogee arch to the central doorway with an ornate finial. The east end above the apse and a cast iron tracery rose. The coved ceiling still partially remains but the decoration of a high standard for the period, has been stripped and a floor inserted.

Holy Trinity was also important in reflecting the High Church movement of the Anglican Church at the time. The first vicar was succeeded by Rev Dr Joseph Oldknow who was Birmingham's first Ritualist priest. Oldknow was buried here and the Latin inscriptions which can be seen on the gravestones gives a clue to the church's Anglo-Catholic history. He in turn was succeeded in 1874 by Richard William Enraght who was imprisoned in 1880 when the church became the centre of a battle over high church practices. Enraght was prosecuted in 1880 in a trial which was known nationally as the Bordesley Wafer Case.

Enraght was an Anglo-Catholic who burnt candles and incense, used wafers at the Eucharist, wore a chasuble and alb and mixed water with the communion wine. In addition, he did such things as making the sign of the cross towards the congregation. These were not the normal practices of the Church of England at the time and he fell foul of the radical protestant reaction against ‘ritualism’. He was put on trial in 1879: a trial he refused to attend. He was convicted under the Public Worship Regulation Act, a new law pushed through the Commons by influential Evangelicals in a bid to put an end to ‘Romish’ practices in the church, and finally imprisoned at Warwick. He was released after 49 days and a considerable national uproar, but his career never recovered.

Enraght's licence was eventually revoked and he was replaced in 1883 by the Rev Alan H Watts, against the wishes of the congregation and an account of their displeasure was reported in London Evening News for 12 March 1883. "A scene of an extraordinary nature was witnessed at Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley, Birmingham, yesterday morning, owing to the attempt of the Rev. A. H. Watts, who has been appointed vicar in place of the Rev. R. W. Enraght, to read himself in. The church was crowded, and there was a large number of police present. Just before the service the two churchwardens went to the vestry, being loudly applauded on their way thither. They were met by the vicar, who offered his hand, but it was declined, and the churchwardens handed him a formal protest to his assuming office. When Mr. Watts entered the church there were loud groans, and this was repeated on his reading the first lesson. When he commenced to read himself in there was great turmoil, and the efforts of the police to restore order were futile. The rev. gentleman, however, continued to the end, notwithstanding that his voice was almost inaudible. At the conclusion of the service an angry mob followed Mr. Watts until he entered a cab and drove away. In the evening the church was packed in every part, and the new vicar was slightly hissed as he entered the chancel from the vestry. He preached a sermon, but contrary to anticipation there was no disorder. When he left the church he was soon met by a large and noisy crowd, but no strong force, and the Rev. Gentleman was not molested."

The burial ground was closed in 1873 although family graves continued to be used until 1925. Some remains were removed due to the widening of Sandy Lane/ Bordesley Middleway; and many gravestones were removed when the church was deconsecrated in the 1970s. The building was used as a hostel for homeless people until c1999. It currently remains empty.

In autumn 1875 a group of cricketers from the church formed an Association football team, Small Heath Alliance, which became Birmingham City F.C.

The church was closed in 1970 and spent some time as a homeless shelter.

Vicars

Organ

The organ in the church was built by Banfield in 1847. There were several modifications over the years. A specification of the organ from towards the end of its life can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organist